The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team, which is at the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, recorded shelling near the facility and saw black smoke rising from three nearby locations. This is discussed in the IAEA report.
According to the agency, several artillery shells fell on the territory outside the station, approximately 400 meters from the diesel fuel storage area.
The monitoring mission heard intermittent explosions for nearly two hours starting at 1:26 p.m. local time, including three loud bursts around 2:30 p.m. The sounds of shooting were also recorded. Due to the dangerous situation, the inspectors have not yet been able to examine the place where the shells fell, but they plan to do so when conditions permit. There were no casualties or damage to the equipment.
At the same time, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized the seriousness of the situation:
“While there were no reports of injuries or damage to equipment, the incident once again underscores the continuing dangers to nuclear safety and security.
Recall that the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was captured by Russian troops on March 4, 2022 during the battles for Energodar. As early as March 12, 2022, there were reports that the facility came under the control of the Russian company “Rosatom”. At the same time, the station continues to be serviced by Ukrainian personnel who work under the control of the occupiers and were forced to accept Russian citizenship and sign labor agreements with “Rosatom”.
